Portable grain-elevator.



W. A. CALDWELL. PORTABLE GRAIN ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION IILBD 11:13.4, 1910.

Patented Sept. 20, 1910.

u dftouywu o WELSEY AZARIAH CALDWELL, OF BRADFORD, ILLINOIS.

PORTABLE GRAIN-ELEVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 20, 1910,

Application filed February 4, 1910. Serial No. 541,975.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WELSEY A. CALDWELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bradford, in the county of Stark and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Portable Grain-Elevator, of which thefollowing is a specification.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an improvedportable grain elevator of compact form and highly efficient inoperation.

One object of the invention is to provide novel power transmission meansfor applying power to the upper shaft of the elevator instead of to thelower shaft, as is usually done.

Aside from the feature mentioned above, the elevator of the presentinvention embodies certain novel structural features which willpresently be made clear.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of anelevator embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionalview through the upper end thereof. Fig. 3 is a similar view through thelower end. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the lower end portion of theelevator, and Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view through the elevatortaken at a point intermediate of the ends of the same.

In the drawings, the conveyer mechanism of the elevator is illustratedas housed within a casing which embodies side walls 6, a bottom wall 7,and a top wall 8, the bottom and top walls, at the lower end of thecasing, merging to afford a closed lower end. The conveyer casing is, ofcourse, arranged in inclined position when in use, and the lower cornerof the casing at its upper end is left open, as at 9, for the dischargeof grain, as will be presently more specifically described. Grain is tobe introduced into the conveyer casing by way of a suitably formedhopper 10 which is arranged at the lower end of the said casing at oneside thereof and opens through the said side. Grain discharged into thecasing is, of course, to be conveyed to the upper end thereof andfinally discharged through the opening 9 into the car being loaded.

A shaft 11 is journaled at its ends in suitable bearings 12 which aremounted for sliding adjustment in guides 13 upon the side walls of thecasing at the lower end thereof, these hearings being adjustable throughthe medium of adjusting screws 14 for a purpose which will presently beexplained. Sprocket gears 15 are fixed upon this shaft 11 adjacent theends thereof and immediately inward of the side walls of the casing, anda shaft 16 is journaled at its ends in suitable bearings in said sidewalls of the casing at the upper ends thereof, and also has fixed uponit sprocket gears 17 located in a manner similar to the gears 15.

It will be observed that the lower end wall of the conveyer casing iscurved in the arc of a circle concentric to the sprocket gears 15 innearly the same are so that grain fed into the casing at this end willnot collect or accumulate, but will be properly engaged by the conveyerflights when in movement.

It will be observed from inspection of Fig. l of the drawings that oneof the gears 17 is formed with a bevel gear portion 18, and meshingwitlrthis said ear portion is a bevel pinion 19 fixed at tile upper endof a shaft 20 which is mounted in suitable bearings upon one side wallof the casing and exterior to the casing. At the lower end of the saidshaft 20 there is fixed a tubular pinion 21 meshing with a similarpinion 22 upon the adjacent end of a power shaft 23, this shaft beingjournaled transversely beneath the casing at the lower end thereof andbeing adapted to be driven from any suitable source of power supply;also it is contemplated that this shaft shall have connection with awagon raising device which is not here shown, as it forms no part of thepresent invention.

Journaled upon stub shafts 24: upon the inner faces of the side walls ofthe conveyer casing at the upper end thereof are small idler sprocketgears 25 and chains are trained over the several gears, 15, 17, and 25at each side of the casing and are connected by ordinary conveyerflights 26 which travel over the bottom wall or floor of the casing andmove the grain thereover, as will be readily understood. To support theupper stretch of the chains, suitable angle iron tracks 27 are mountedupon the inner faces of the side walls of the casing and support thesaid chains.

From the foregoing description of the invention, it will be readilyunderstood that grain is to be fed into the conveyer casing through thehopper 10 and that as the lower stretch of the conveyer travels upwardlyover the floor of the casing, "rain will be collected and carriedupwardly by the flights 26 and discharged through the opening 9 at thelower edge of which opening there is arranged a depending board or apron28 which forwardly deflects the discharged grain.

What is claimed is:

In an elevator of the class described, a casing comprising side walls, abottom wall, and a top wall, the said casing being open at the lowercorner of its upper end, a shaft journaled in the casing directly abovethe opening, sprocket gears fixed upon the shaft one immediatelyinwardly of each side wall of the casing, idle sprocket gears mountedupon the inner sides of the said side walls, one above each of the firstmentioned gears,

a shaft journaled in the casing at the lower wardly of each side Wall ofthe casing, sprocket chains trained over the gears at each side of thecasing, the said chains being completely housed by said casing,

conveyer flights connecting the said chains,

my own, I have hereto afliXed my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

WELSEY AZARIAH CALDWELL.

Witnesses:

J. H. WALKER, J. W. Knznwoon.

